I’ve read your other post and I truly feel with where you are in your life. As you yourself have recognized, there are deeper issues here at play than relationships with those with your friends and family. All of these are simply manifestations that have roots in your mind and the answers to your questions may not be found in online articles or forums. I don’t mean to discourage you from participating, but I do think that in addition to being part of this online community, a face to face conversation with a professional is needed.

Your family (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings) is the first place to turn to when expressing a need to see a therapist. I used to be weary of expressing my needs to my family because of what I perceived to be their financial issues, but I now know that had I actually told them I needed help, they may have been weary at first, but eventually would have helped me or worked with me towards finding a solution. If they don’t know you want help, they can’t even try to start.

You’ve reached critical point in your life where you are now, perhaps more than ever, willing to examine how your mind works and improve the quality of your life. If you ever have doubts about seeing a therapist or pursuing the need, remember, “Hell is a conversation with yourself about yourself” and nothing will ever replace the support you get from a face to face conversation.

Best of luck.

I’ve been to a few professionals and I’ll probably go back periodically for regular check-ups. I’m not an expert in the types of approaches available, but try a simple google search for local ones in your area and see if their profile speaks to you. How do they present themselves? What kind of issues do they pride themselves on being able to tackle? What’s their research history or area of focus?

Practical considerations such as time, money, and even gender (some people feel more comfortable sharing with men, others with women) need to be taken into consideration.

If you’re willing, open, and think it might be possible, try out a few before committing to one and always be open, honest, and transparent about where you’re coming from.